Choosing the Right Numbing Product
Start with the session, not the product
Numbing isn't one product — it's a small system that matches the procedure you're booking. The right choice depends on what's being done, how long it will take, and whether the skin will be intact throughout. Work backwards from the session and the product chooses itself.
The Totally Numb range is built around three numbing formats: Comfort Cream (before intact skin), Comfort Gel — Platinum (before aesthetic procedures), and Comfort Spray — Platinum (before and during, as support). The guide below covers which to reach for, and when.
Choose your tier
If you're not sure
Tier selection is about how long you need the numbing to work for, and how sensitive the placement is. A busy ribcage piece needs more than a forearm piece of the same length. A three-hour microneedling session needs less than a three-hour tattoo. Use the card above as a starting point, then nudge up or down based on the two questions below.
How long is the working time? Not the booking slot — the time the needle or device is actually on the skin. How sensitive is the placement? Ribs, sternum, inner arm, ankle, behind the knee — all need more than a forearm or outer thigh.
When in doubt, move up a tier. A stronger formulation is easier to moderate — you can apply less or remove it earlier. An underperforming formulation can't be rescued once the session begins.
When other products are relevant
Cream leads the preparation. Spray supports it — before and during — and gel handles specific moments alongside the session.
Comfort Spray
Used as support, before and during. Spray covers fast and broad — extending cream preparation over larger areas, and maintaining comfort through longer or more demanding work.
Comfort Gel
The before-session choice for microneedling, laser, lip filler, injections, piercings, semi-permanent makeup, and other non-tattoo procedures on intact skin.
Want to go deeper? The guides below cover the tier decision and product selection in more detail.